# Absinthe?



## Engineer99 (Aug 4, 2011)

I ran across a bottle of Pernod Fils from the 50's for sale in the local classifieds and was wondering if there was anything to the absinthe thing. I've seen it at the BevMo and know it's legal in the States now, mostly, and was wondering if anyone has any experience with it and what effects it has above and beyond the high alcohol content. I'd love to try the whole ritual of preparing it and am curious if there's any truth to the "green fairy" mythos and mild hallucinatory properties.


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## Jay106n (Nov 3, 2011)

I think there is more of a psychological placibo effect more than anything. I have seen people prepare it, and the way they act after, and think they are just dumb. That's just me. It's no different than taking a couple of shots.


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## gosh (Oct 17, 2011)

I've tried absinthe a few times, the set-up, the preparation are all awesome. Very much in line with the little stuff we do to enjoy a cigar.

With that said, it is simply alcohol, absolutely, positively nothing more. Kind of a tad head-buzzy like champagne, but that's it. Any of the people claiming to get high off it are full of shit, or are the same people who get "stoned" off oregano if you call it pot.


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## Old Salty (Dec 12, 2011)

I have to agree with everyone in the sense that I think it is more hype than anything else. Yeah, you will get hammered, but that's about it. You also better REALLY like licorice flavored stuff.


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

The Absinthe that is now legal to sell in the US doesn't contain wormwood (because it's not on the FDA's list of approved human consumables).

Wormwood contains Thujone, which is the chemical that supposedly gives Absinthe its hallucinatory effects. The only problem with that theory is that all Thujone does is increase your risk of seizures. If I remember my mixology lessons correctly, a "published study" in the 1970s linked Thujone to THC because their molecular makeups are similar - so that was all the "scientific backing" people needed to confirm that the "green fairy" existed.

In truth, I think that any hallucinatory effects were caused more by chemicals added to the drink to keep it as bright green as possible than by the levels of Thujone normally found in Absinthe. All sorts of nasty things were added as colorants so that the manufacturers could skip a step during production (ie, save money & time).


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

The green fairy is all hype IMHO>


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## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

Double Post


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## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

szyzk said:


> The Absinthe that is now legal to sell in the US doesn't contain wormwood (because it's not on the FDA's list of approved human consumables).
> 
> Wormwood contains Thujone, which is the chemical that supposedly gives Absinthe its hallucinatory effects. The only problem with that theory is that all Thujone does is increase your risk of seizures. If I remember my mixology lessons correctly, a "published study" in the 1970s linked Thujone to THC because their molecular makeups are similar - so that was all the "scientific backing" people needed to confirm that the "green fairy" existed.


This is all true. In addition, there is a great misconception about the type of hallucinating one does when drinking enough _real_ Absinth. It does not make you see things. It is not LSD or Shrooms. Instead, the wormwood will effect the way your eyes dilate. In turn this will effect how you see light, for instance, instead of light being evenly emitted from a light bulb, it will come out more in beams. This effect is then multiplied simply because of how drunk you have gotten to drink enough for the wormwood to take effect.

Now, there are a couple things to remember, if you have had Absinthe and did not experience this, it is because the two drinks are completely different. You would have had to buy Absinth overseas, and even still it is very hard to find a bottle with even half of the wormwood that was used during its peak in about 100 years ago.

Now, as far as the bottle you found on consignment. I would be very interested in the country of origin. If it's from the 50s, you may have a treasure on your hands, especially of it was produced in France or Eastern Europe.


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## Engineer99 (Aug 4, 2011)

It seems having some real absinthe containing wormwood would potentially have some effect aside from the considerable alcohol buzz. Perhaps this is the effect of real absinth has, as subtle as it may be, and not in line with full on LSD or psylocibin style hallucination. I know by now what a pure alcohol buzz is like and think I might be able to discern, if after consuming enough absinthe, if there's anything else going on. Of course there's the who placebo effect where you expect something to happen so it does, regardless of it's actual cause. Being stateside does not bode well for actually acquiring some, and I'm not really interested in something that doesn't hold to the original concoction or is laden with adulterants. The bottle for sale is indeed French and from the fifties, but the seller wants $750 for it, which is below market value, but far above what I would consider paying for a beverage of any ilk. I think it would be fun to do the whole preparation thing just for kicks though...


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## Hot Lips (Dec 28, 2009)

All green fairy myths aside, I really enjoy the process of absinthe. It tastes like a good and plenty to me when all done up. We do have one customer who won't drink it after a bad night of nightmares


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## rocketmann82 (Jun 20, 2010)

I drank a few of these when I was in Holland and while the preparation was really cool, it didn't have the effect I had heard so much about.

Now, if you want a strange drink, while I was in Korea 22 years ago, I had a drink called "Snake Ju". It's basically Soju (Korean Moonshine) with a little Phemaldehyde added to preserve a whole snake inside. Imagine drinking a clear liquid that smelled like pure Phemalehyde with snake scales floating around in it! Tasted like Taquilla and gasoline.......


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## Booyaa (Nov 6, 2010)

szyzk said:


> The Absinthe that is now legal to sell in the US doesn't contain wormwood (because it's not on the FDA's list of approved human consumables).
> 
> Wormwood contains Thujone, which is the chemical that supposedly gives Absinthe its hallucinatory effects. The only problem with that theory is that all Thujone does is increase your risk of seizures. If I remember my mixology lessons correctly, a "published study" in the 1970s linked Thujone to THC because their molecular makeups are similar - so that was all the "scientific backing" people needed to confirm that the "green fairy" existed.
> 
> In truth, I think that any hallucinatory effects were caused more by chemicals added to the drink to keep it as bright green as possible than by the levels of Thujone normally found in Absinthe. All sorts of nasty things were added as colorants so that the manufacturers could skip a step during production (ie, save money & time).


Very interesting that mate, I used to drink the odd (half) bottle of absinthe and never had many side effects. A couple of years ago I started having seizures which has led to brain surgery! Evil green stuff I say!!


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## dmessmd (Feb 17, 2012)

I agree with JGD

I had Absinthe a few years back while I was in Germany with some friends. The prep stuff was kinda cool/fun, but all that it really did was change the way that shadows moved. It wasn't anything really crazy, they just seemed...off... Like something wasn't quite right about them.

In general, I think that it is pretty delicious. And I don't generally even like licorice


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Engineer99 said:


> I think it would be fun to do the whole preparation thing just for kicks though...


It's our primal draw to ritualistic things. The preparation of choosing, cutting and lighting a cigar and packing, lighting, tamping and relighting a pipe... The preparation of Absinthe is very, very fun.



Booyaa said:


> A couple of years ago I started having seizures which has led to brain surgery!


Sorry to hear about your affliction, but it is interesting. Doing a bit of online fact checking, I see that the Thujone contents vary wildly between brands and there's some debate as to how much of it is actually harmful.


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## birdiemc (Feb 4, 2012)

all i know about the stuff is I had 7 shots at the end of a night of drinking while in Australia and my roommate found me in the top of a eucalyptus tree screaming like a girl. thank God I don't act like that anymore!


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## nny12345 (Mar 15, 2012)

I'm a huge absinthe fan myself (actually in the process of the journey to distill my own). But if you haven't checked it out yet, I would strongly recommend The Wormwood Society website. Lots of great folks on their forums, including a few instrumental in getting the bans lifted in the states these last few years. Of what I've drank my way around so far, I would highly recommend Marteau, Nouvelle Orleans, Ridge, and La Clandestine. Drinkupny's websites does a nice service of affordably shipping quite a few of the real brands around the US as well. It's worth investing the time to research a bit, particularly since absinthe has a very interesting mystique around it, and more than a little misinformation regarding the appearances of lilliputian ladies in green or other green related properties.


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## nny12345 (Mar 15, 2012)

It's also worth noting that the first annual Great American Absinthe Festival is going down this June.


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## TheTomcat (Mar 8, 2012)

Had absinthe in Paris in the mid 90's. In the military and it was the cool thing to do. never had any strange side effects except geting really drunk and having decent breath if the girl liked Licorice! I've had it since and still like it alot but I've never seen the fairy.


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## joshbhs04 (May 30, 2011)

Ive had some absinthe all throughout europe while being stationed there. Of what I remember the buzz was a lil bit different than normal but definately no green fairies.


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## nny12345 (Mar 15, 2012)

Yes, most people describe it as an incredibly lucid buzz (which can lead to decidedly coherent drunken debate and conversation). I think what I enjoy most about it is how clean the over all experience is, and how light on the mouth it is while still packing a punch. For whiskey fan's I seriously recommend getting your hands on a good Sazerac recipe, it's my preferred one-two punch and goes nicely with a good bit of tobacco.


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## nikonnut (Dec 4, 2011)

I love the stuff. There's a bar here that has the setup to perform the whole ritual and it is pretty cool to watch and experience. Some day I'll spring for a pre-20's sample and see iheist better than the modern stuff or if it is all just green Jaegermeister.


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